The Card Concept #16: Wild Card Team Challenge

Hey all! Fun news today... I'm starting up on a new challenge team with The Card Concept! It's the Wild Card Design Team and I am very excited to be apart of it. And let me tell you why, this is a place where we get to try ALL the styles of card making as we participate in the challenges every other week. That's a whole lotta fun in my book! 

I'm excited to start with my very first challenge today. Thanks for coming along for the ride. Hope you enjoy the process!  You can see the inspiration photo below and our challenge was to create a wedding card, but in addition to this, the style I was assigned to create is in the Freestyle Collage category. 

Well, let me just tell you right now, that I don't do much freestyle collage-ing on my cards, mostly because it's intimidating to me, so this was definitely a challenge! So right out of the gate I had three criteria. Inspiration photo, wedding card and free-wheelin' it...

 Let me show you what I ended up doing:

As I looked at the inspiration photo I was first struck by the lovely colours. Notice the light blue but then also a green/aqua colour in the hydrangeas? Colors are never flat and simple. Especially in flowers, which is why I love them! I also noticed the silver votive candle holder and I really wanted to create the texture that the little hydrangea petals give off. Small/circular/cluster-y. You know what I mean?? 

So I started with some light-light-light sponging with this fun stencil. (Did I say light?) I just did a section of my card base. I tested out all the blue Distress Inks I own and chose Salty Ocean but I knew it was much to bright for what I wanted. So I sponged off most of my colour before applying a light (ha!) layer onto my card base.

One of the things about freestyle collage (IMHO) is all the little elements that while seemingly random, come together to make a nice grouping of 'shtuff'. Ya? And to that point you have to have lots of 'shtuff' to choose from (which I do not. Had to downsize my embellishments to get them into my apartment office!). So I liked the silver votive candle and decided I wanted something silver in my grouping. But I don't have many embellishments lying around my space so I figured anything I wanted, I would have to make myself. So I die cut a doily from white card stock and embossed it with silver a few times to make it nice and thick.

I stamped and coloured the flowers with both light blue and aqua Copics trying to get a two toned look. I kind of like how mottled it turned out in spots. As you may know, Copics are meant for blending similar colours in varying shades so when you do different colours, you get interesting results.

So once I had my card base sponged and my elements created I just added in a feather (random shtuff) and a little heart button down at the bottom because I felt like it could use some weight distribution and also, it is a wedding card after all ; ) I die cut my sentiment and added some textured vellum behind it to help it pop a bit.  

And there you have it! My first Wild Card 'Freestyle Collage' card! Honestly, I feel like this came together pretty well considering I don't have much experience in it. I did very little 'head-on-wall' pounding, which to me is a success! This is a technique I have admired from afar and it was fun to try myself. I think this is a forgiving style if you are new to it, so you should give it a go! And do let me know how you like creating it yourself. Maybe you will find freestyle collage is your new go-to style! That would be fun right? 

Ok. So be sure to stop by The Card Concept blog for a chance at the challenge yourself. You have until Monday Aug 18 at noon to participate. Hope you can join us! I can't wait to see what you create!

Thanks so much for stopping by.

xoxo

k

Online Card Classes: Stretch Your Stamps 2--DAY ONE

Hey all! I'm excited to start out this week because I got a slot in the new Online Card Class: Stretch Your Stamps 2. And you know what? After one day, I already feel the impact! This class is great! If you want to get down and dirty with your stamps, you should totally take it.

Last night I stayed up late and made 6 cards! Here are three using one technique with one stamp. That's how you stretch it, alright!

I started with the emboss resist technique using water-colour. I really wanted some nice bright action. So I didn't do a lot of "watering" down with the colour. This is one piece of water colour paper cut to A2 size the background stamp is by Hero Arts.

Out of this one piece I die cut a little notecard (top-Lawn Fawn), a Thanks sentiment (Studio Calico) and the negative space of the Thanks sentiment (bottom)

With all of this, I made three cards! Here is the first. Using the stitched notecard die cut. I just popped up a sentiment and it was done. Easy.

 I love the vibrancy of this background!

Second card I busted out my shaker die cuts. It's my first time using them!

I still need practice and this one is a little plain, but it shakes, so you know...
I love all the shaker contents. That's the best part ; )

And last card I put down some washi tape first under the die cut panel. I then die cut the THANKS sentiment 4 times out of black. Then stacked them up and added some glossy accents.

This was difficult. It's by far the THINNEST die cut I have ever worked with. It was really late too so I had some difficulties with my glossy accents (shot in my eye!) and then this skinny little thing wouldn't stick together. Studio Calico, I LOVE this font, but seriously? It's waaaaay too skinny! I was frustrated, to say the least. But I got some sleep, and love what it looks like so I guess I forgive it all. Even my eye lid gluing shut ; )

Ok. That's all for today! I have some cards to share with you for day two. And if perchance you are in the mood for some learning and stamping and fun, you should come join!

Thanks for stopping by.

xoxo

k

Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge

Hey there. Welcome! Today I am joining in the challenge over at Simon Says Stamp Challenge Blog.

Do you remember this water-colour panel I made into a card a few days ago? Well, I did end up finding it... no cheerios or boogers on it to be seen ; ) I had made it for this challenge but it took me awhile to locate it again and get photos. Plus I panicked about time and took my photos before realising the background had a tropical feel. Wha?  Soooo NOT gelling with my summery-wild-flower feel. But you love me so much, you will let it slide this once, right? 

Ok the challenge this week is "Anything Goes" using Cas-ual Fridays or Technique Tuesday. So I pulled out my Technique Tuesday stamps. I have a few sets and I have picked up quite a few of their die cuts recently, so I thought I could manage myself pretty well.

I started by stamping my images using distress inks and then went over the images with a water brush. It was looking pretty good, or at least I thought it was. But I got over zealous (who, me?!?!) and cut the panel too small (EEK!) So I matted it on white card stock and then put it on my card base and also 'shmeared' on some Wink of Stella. Now I LOVE Wink of Stella as much as the next gal, but it just shouldn't go on this water-colour panel. I groaned after I did it. Oh crap, I knew better! Don't you hate that? You can see it a bit in this photo... Not my favourite thing. But what do you do now? Not going to toss it, although I did do a good job of 'losing it' for a few days ; )

 
Then using my die cuts I glued a few 'hello' pieces together and then adhered it to its matching mat. I love that Technique Tuesday makes mats for their die cut words. It adds something fun. I then popped up the sentiment panel to make it stand out a bit more.

And thar ya have it!  I love this technique of water colour. It's a great way to cheat and look like you know how to water colour, even if you are like me, and SO do not. At least I had you fooled until the Wink of Stella ;)

ok. thanks for stopping by. Have a great day!
k

CASE Study #202

This is the last week with muse Shari Carroll over at CASE Study. Her work is always so intricate and stunning. And this weeks piece is no different. Just look at it... It's so amazing and great inspiration!:

Here is my take on it:

I absolutely adore the vibrancy of the red flower against the craft background on Shari's card. Her colouring is amazing! I decided to emboss the flowers from Altenew's Henna Elements in white and colour in my flowers with coloured pencils. I used red and then added in some orange for the outside petals and small flowers and some pink for the inside petals (on the large flower).

I did a little stamping with Versamark on the kraft background to add some detail and made up a sentiment banner with a notched edge backed with some white card stock. I am IN LOVE with these sentiment die cuts by Little B. They are just perfect for everything and I can't stop using them, as I'm sure you've noticed ; )

That's all for today. I'm excited to see what they have in store for the CASE Study anniversary starting next week. Woot! I love a party!

Thanks for stopping in.
xoxo
k

Paper Wings Productions: August Blog Hop!

Hey there! Thanks for joining the Paper Wings Productions monthly blog hop! Welcome... Glad you could visit!

If you're looking for lots of fun inspiration, then you have come to the right place!

This months theme is: Your favourite colour!  All of our designers are showcasing their favourite colours along with some AWESOME Paper Wings Productions products. So... get cosy and lets get started!

Now this one is perfect for me because I have a son who asks me this questions All. The. Time.          I don't know why he doesn't remember or why he's interested in asking, but it is a subject we cover on a regular basis and let me just make it known here and now, my favourite colour is RED! I love a bright, intense, knock-your-socks-off kind of a red. You know?

So check it out... One lucky winner will get a $25.00 gift certificate to the Paper Wings Productions online store! You can get all of the details on how to win on The Aviary, the Paper Wings Productions blog. And just 'cause I want you to win, I'm going to cover it here too:

For a chance to win all you need to do is:

• be a follower of the Paper Wings Productions Blog
• visit each of the participating designer's blogs and leave a comment
• go back and leave us a comment on the PWP blog telling us you completed the hop.

To increase your chances of winning you can LIKE our Facebook page and/or invite your friends to the hop. Be sure to leave a separate comment for each of your additional entries. The winner will be announced on Tuesday, Aug. 5th 2014, on the Paper Wings Productions blog.

So now that we covered all the details, let me show you what I did....

I started with the Damask stamp and made myself an entire page of the image (planning on cutting out the best part since I flubbed the stamping.. oops!). It was pretty easy to line up and it whipped it up in no time!  I then trimmed the part I wanted to use to 4.25 x 5.5 and used some curved die cuts to create my curves. I then matted it with a matching red card stock and cut the curves again. It was really easy to line up and cut by taping the die cut directly next two the top layer with a bit of room for the matting. I then added it to my card base.

I then used the Sacred Geometry stamp set to make myself a little vellum flower. I stamped the image twice and then used a Wink of Stella pen to add some shimmer to just one side of each petal. 

Because the ink is on vellum, the pen pulled some red ink around and added in a nice shade of pink in the petals which I ended up liking. I did the same for my leaf and stem. I then fussy cut and double layered my flower tops with dimensional tape and added a pearl. The stem is made up of two separate stamp images but they go so well together as leaf and stem. I love how versatile this stamp set is!

I curved my sentiment from Vintage Technology and stamped it three times along the curve of my paper but directly on the card base.

And that's it for me!  

It's time to send you off to the next stop so head on over to the amazing ERICA ROSE THOMPSON for some more inspiration!!

***And here is the complete line up just in case you get lost along the way***

Kristie Sessions Larsen (YOU ARE HERE)

Erica Rose Thompson

Dana Tatar

Ashley Hamm

Amber Rasmuss

Carrie Avery

Paper Wings Productions Blog "The Aviary"

Thank you so much for joining us today. 

Let your creativity take flight!

k

CAS(E) This Sketch #86

Well, lookie who's going crazy and posting twice in one day! What's going on over here, is Kristie going 'crazy-town!?'  Well yes, yes I am, or else why would I be referring to myself in 3rd person? 

Ok... enough of that already. I'm here to get in on CAS(E) This Sketch just hours before the deadline!

Here's the sketch:

And my card:

I kept it simple by doing on one layer stamping and you know, I'm still getting used to this sparkle spray. Anyone have any pointers they can give me? It's either a TON of spray or these crazy big dots. nothing nice and in-between that makes my card look carefree and confident. You know? I guess I just need practice. But I do love the sparkle it gives. I had to add some sequins to cover up some of those renegade splatters. Oh me, oh my!

I layers some embossed paper and some glitter in there too and called it good. And in all honesty (and what good am I if I'm not being honest?) I really don't like this card... at all. BUT! Challenge done! So onward and upward.

Ok. That's it. I'm heading back to my craft room to see what else I can whip up for fun and maybe this time I will actually like it ; )
Thanks for stopping in.
love
k

Just Saying Hello

Hello! Just stopping in really quick. I have some old cards that desperately need to be shown so I can move on. Too many in the archives that are collecting dust!

Here is a simple one using a water-colour technique I keep meaning to get on video. Anyone else out there completely intimidated by video software!? I need to get cracking. I know I can figure it out, I just need to, you know? Well when I do, this will be the first video I do. What I like to call Faux-Watercolor...

So this is how it goes.... you get some water-colour paper and some washable Crayola markers and go to town. Scribble the crap out of it covering the whole thing and then you add water and watch it swirl! It's simple and fun. Then you die cut whatever you want out of your page and make a card with it. Easy!

I had this little airplane that I had embossed with white onto vellum. I found it in the ever growing stash of bits I have made but end up not using. PLEASE say you have a big pile too!? It's getting out of control. I'm going to have to start crafting my stash to keep from being buried in it all. Anyway... just added a cute heart trail for my plane (Mama Elephant) and popped up my letters.

And that's all. My simple hello.
Hope all is well for you this mid-week. Thanks for stopping by!
xoxo
k